Stop and Smell the Roses
by A Petaline Tansywish
Summary: "It's been pretty chaotic around here for quite some time, and it's hard not to be, with all the deaths, but sometimes we all just have to stop and smell the roses." ThunderClan's medicine cat, Honeyfeather, dies, leaving only her apprentice, Sunpaw. When a terrible disease strikes, Sunpaw doesn't know how much more she'll be able to do before the Clans get wiped out.
1. Allegiances and prolouge

**Hello, kittehs! Tansywish here! I know you're probably not very happy with me for leaving my story only 2 chapters in, but I just adopted two story ideas and they both strike me as more interesting than Fire Within. I may write it later, who knows. I plan to update this as often as I can. I hope you guys enjoy this story as much or even more than my last one! Thanks! :D**

**Disclamer: Do I look like Erin Hunter(s)? Well, you can't see me, but I assure you, I don't. Idea belongs to Spottedeyes.**

* * *

**Allegiances**

ThunderClan

LEADER **Maplestar**- dark brown tabby she-cat

DEPUTY **Sparrowflight**- black she-cat with white tail tip

MEDICINE CAT **Honeyfeather**- cream colored she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

WARRIORS

**Acornfall**- creamy white and light brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentice, Tansypaw**

**Duskclaw**- golden she-cat

**Silverstripe**- silver tom

**Pinepelt**- light brown and gold tabby tom

**Petalfrost**- blue-gray she-cat with white forepaws and tail

**Robinpelt**- light brown tom with dark brown underbelly

**Apprentice, Furzepaw**

**Whitewhisker**- white tom with very long whiskers

APPRENTICES

**Sunpaw**- golden she-cat with darker yellow stripes down her back

**Tansypaw**- pretty ginger she-cat with white forepaws and green eyes

**Furzepaw**- bracken-colored tom with green eyes

QUEENS

**Ashheart**- black and white she-cat; expecting Silverstripe's kits

**Stormrunner**- white she-cat with gray splotches; mother of Tawnykit

ELDERS

**Berryfeather**- creamy white tom

ShadowClan

LEADER **Emberstar**- husky orange tom

DEPUTY **Nightfang**- dark gray, almost black tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT **Marshfoot**- dark gray she-cat, looks greenish in the moonlight

WARRIORS

**Sedgeclaw**- light brown she-cat

**Wolfbite**- light gray and white she-cat

**Apprentice, Frogpaw**

**Nettleleaf**- black she-cat with white flecks on flank

**Plumfall**- tan colored she-cat

**Dewfang**- light gray, almost white tom

**Apprentice, Shrewpaw**

**Crimsonfur**- russet colored she-cat

**Fireblaze**- red tom

APPRENTICES

**Frogpaw**- tan colored tom

**Shrewpaw**- light brown tabby tom

QUEENS

**Jayflight**- gray and brown tabby she-cat; expecting Dewfang's kits

ELDERS

**Falconwing**- black tom with scarred ears and muzzle

**Echoflight**- gray she-cat with long tail

WindClan

LEADER **Stripestar**- white tom with three light gray stripes down his back

DEPUTY **Mottlebreeze**- black and gray tabby she-cat

MEDICINE CAT **Leafstem**- creamy white she-cat

**Apprentice, Birchpaw**

WARRIORS

**Dawnfire**- red and orange tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Lilystem**- small black she-cat with a fluffy tail

**Ivywing**- light gray she-cat

**Apprentice, Gorsepaw**

**Cloudleaf**- white tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

**Skyfeather**- blue-gray she-cat with white flecks on back

**Redflame**- red tom with orange tail and ears

**Grasswhisper**- black and white tabby tom

APPRENTICES

**Birchpaw**- light brown she-cat

**Gorsepaw**- amber colored tom with green eyes

**Snowpaw**- white she-cat with gray tail tip and blue eyes

ELDERS

**Eaglesong**- black and gold she-cat

RiverClan

LEADER **Rushstar**- light gray she-cat

DEPUTY **Fishleap**- gray-blue tom with white tail

MEDICINE CAT **Shadowflight**- black tom

WARRIORS

**Clearcreek**- small blue-gray she-cat with green eyes

**Otterfur**- light brown tom

**Bramblestream**- blue-gray she-cat

**Apprentice, Splashpaw**

**Rainpool**- white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Sleetfoot**- black tabby tom with gray paws

**Apprentice, Yellowpaw**

APPRENTICES

**Splashpaw**- red and white she-cat

**Yellowpaw**- gold tabby tom

QUEENS

**Willowfeather**- gray she-cat with tan splotches; mother of Streamkit and Flowerkit

**Mosstail**- expecting Otterfur's kits

ELDERS

**Morningspirit**- tawny she-cat

* * *

_Prolouge_

It was dawn, and Honeyfeather could see the sun rising through gaps of leaves in the trees. She got up and stretched her legs, only to fall back into her nest as her limbs collapsed from sudden weakness.

The cream colored she-cat's head spun as she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. Her breath became shallow, and she lay down as everything went blurry. A clear, starry figure appeared over her. Honeyfeather then recognized who it was: Whiskerheart, her old mentor.

"It's time." her voice was calming.

"Not yet...please do not take me, not now..." Honeyfeather's throat was sore just from uttering a few words.

"I'm sorry; I truly am." The black and white tabby meowed. "But it is time. There is nothing I can do for you."

Honeyfeather sighed as another spasm of pain racked through her body. "What about...Sunpaw..."

"I'm afraid she is on her own now." Whiskerheart murmured.

Honeyfeather's eyes grew wide with panic, then flying shut again as she experienced more pain. "But...the Clan needs...a medicine cat..."

"I'm sure Sunpaw will work to the best of her ability," the wise she-cat whispered. "You need to let go."

Honeyfeather nodded, breathing heavily, and uttering four last words before inhaling her final breath.

"I hope she does."

* * *

**Whoo! Allegiances + prolouge finally done! That's usually the hardest part for me. If you have any questions, just PM me or review! And remember, stay awesome! :D**

**~Tansywish :)**


	2. Chapter one

**Hello! Tansywish here with another chapter! I'm going to try to make my rant shorter than last time, so just read it! :D Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. Idea belongs to Spottedeyes.**

* * *

Chapter One

Sunpaw padded out of the medicine cat's den quietly, so as not to wake Honeyfeather, whom she saw was still sleeping. Walking over to the dwindling fresh-kill pile, she grabbed a small vole, and then went over to sit with the other ThunderClan apprentices.

"Good morning," she said breezily, settling down on the sandy earth next to Tansypaw and her littermate Furzepaw. They were deep in conversation and barely seemed to notice that she was there.

Sighing, she ate her vole in a few clean bites and rose to her paws as the dawn patrol came into camp. Sunpaw remembered she had wanted to ask her mentor a question the previous night but hadn't gotten to, so she walked back over to the medicine cat's den and waited just outside, not wanting to barge in on her.

"Honeyfeather?" She asked. "Can I go out and look for comfrey? I checked the stocks last night and we're really low." No reply sounded. _Maybe she's still asleep_, Sunpaw thought. "Honeyfeather?" She said a little louder. When she still got no reply, Sunpaw's heartbeat quickened with nervousness and she stepped inside of the den.

The stench of death hung heavy in the air, and Honeyfeather lay motionless in her nest. Sunpaw try desperately to see the rise and fall of the cream colored she-cats flank, but to no avail. A yowl rose in her throat as she buried her muzzle into her mentor's fur.

"Oh Honeyfeather, why did you have to leave me?"

* * *

"...and we will honor the memory of our lost Clanmate and medicine cat." Maplestar meowed.

There were many murmurs of agreement from the crowd of cats below the Highrock. Then, one cat spoke up. "Our medicine cat is gone! What will we do if someone gets hurt or sick?" Sunpaw heald her head high and replied with determination.

"I will try the most I can. Hopefully StarClan will teach me." The gold apprentice wasn't as sure about StarClan being her mentor, but it was worth a shot. Maybe they would teach her the things she had yet to learn.

A few cats nodded their heads at Sunpaw's comment. "She's right," "StarClan will be her guide," "She'll be alright."

The thing was, Sunpaw didn't know if she was going to be alright or not.

* * *

That night, Sunpaw curled up in her mossy nest, afraid and alone. Whenever she looked over at where Honeyfeather's nest used to be, she half expected her to be sleeping soundly and forgot that she had gone to StarClan. Clanmates had comforted her, and she had pretended to be okay. Pretended to be whole and well and not broken to pieces inside. Not miserable and undecisive of the future. That was what Sunpaw was really feeling.

But here, now, in the den she once shared, she could cry. She didn't have to pretend. And that was exactly what she did-shiny tears streaming down her muzzle, sniffling and sobbing.

Soon after, she stopped crying. She had to, because there was no more tears to cry. Sunpaw got up and padded out of the den. Craning her neck to look up at the stars, she whispered a message to her former mentor.

"Honeyfeather, if you can hear me, and I hope you can, please tell me what the right choices are so I can make them."

* * *

**How did you like it? I know, the end was a little mushy, but hey, at least I updated at al! Be grateful for that! R&R and stay awesome! :D**

**~Tansywish :)**


	3. Chapter two

**Meh! Another chapter! :D Thank you to all my reviews, favs and follows! :3 I just wanted to say that I am NOT going to be updating every day. I was just giddy and happened to update two days in a row. Well, on with ze chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own warriors. Idea belongs to Spottedeyes.**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

Sunpaw awoke to the frantic meows of Robinpelt and Tansypaw.

"Sunpaw!" the ginger apprentice shrieked, bolting into the medicine den. "Petalfrost is hardly breathing!"

"What?" Sunpaw jerked her head up, awoken from a dreamless sleep. "What's going on?"

Robinpelt appeared in the entrance of the den, and beckoned Sunpaw with his tail. "Come quick!"

The gold apprentice rose to her paws and followed the panic-stricken cats across the clearing and into the warrior's den. There, she saw the blue-gray figure of Petalfrost hunched over, Furzepaw running his tail down her flank in an attempt to comfort her. Sunpaw could hear from a distance that her breathing was raspy. She padded closer to Petalfrost, hoping to see anything else that might be off.

"Other than difficulty with breathing, is there anything else that you've been feeling?" Sunpaw meowed quietly, sitting down next to the blue-gray she-cat.

"My chest hurts and everything's blurry," Petalfrost broke into a fit of coughing.

The young medicine cat nodded her head, knowing just what she needed. "Could you give me one second?" she asked. When Robinpelt nodded weakly, worried for his mate, Sunpaw ran to the medicine den.

"Juniper berries...juniper...right? For shallow breathing. Juniper...aha!" Sunpaw reached into one of the piles of herbs and snagged a few red-purple berries on her claw. "And maybe honey...her throat is sore...I wish Honeyfeather was here..." Walking back to the warrior's den, which was now filled with the stench of sickness, she placed the berries in front of the she-cat's muzzle. "Eat up."

"Yum," Petalfrost croaked sarcastically, coughing a couple times before lapping up the herbs.

Once Sunpaw was positive the sickly warrior had swallowed the berries, she ordered Robinpelt to look in on her often. "And make sure she rests," she added. Robinpelt nodded, sitting down calmly, while Petalfrost just grunted and feebly rolled over. How ever much Tansypaw and Furzepaw wanted to keep their parents company, the medicine cat ordered them to stay out and give their mother some space. For once, they listened.

Stressed and still a little tired from the ordeal, Sunpaw padded back out into the camp's clearing and over to the fresh-kill pile. Picking out a mouth-watering shrew, she went to sit by her mother, Acornfall. The tabby had been very confused as of lately, mainly because her former mate and Sunpaw's father, Silverstripe, was having kits with Ashheart. Ashheart had only recently moved into the nursery, and now it seemed like Silverstripe was devoting all his spare time to her.

"Sunpaw!" Acornfall purred. The small gold she-cat settled beside her mother, who was eyeing the bird hungrily. "Are you going to share?" Acornfall asked, amusement evident in her _mrrow_.

Sunpaw took a small bite before pushing the prey towards her. "It's all yours." Eagerly, the brown tabby she-cat devoured the shrew in a few delicate bites. "Thanks, Sunp-"

The medicine cat's mother was interrupted in mid-sentence by a frantic Robinpelt. "Petalfrost- herbs- not working-" he panted.

"What do you mean? The juniper didn't work?"

"I don't know, I don't know! Something else is wrong! Please come!" Without another word, the light brown tom raced off and disappeared into the warrior's den, Sunpaw following.

Inside, Petalfrost was writhing on the sandy ground, spasms of pain racking her body every few seconds. Tansypaw and Furzepaw sat huddled in the corner of the den, too scared for their mother to move or cry out. A cold sensation of dread crept over Sunpaw as she realized that the blue-gray she-cat was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

"We honor Petalfrost's loyalty to her Clanmates in times of need. She was kind to every cat. She will be greatly missed." Maplestar meowed quietly. Petalfrost had been Maplestar's only littermate, and they were as close as you could get.

Cats below the Highrock murmured their agreements, and the cats closest to her gathered around her body, sharing tongues with her for the final time.

_This will not be the last one._

_What_? Sunpaw thought. _Who said that?_

_This will not be the first cat to die._

Sunpaw looked around to see who was talking to her. The strange thing was, no one who looked at her was moving their mouth._ The voice must be coming from inside my head, s_he thought. A shiver ran down her spine as the voice talked again.

_This is only the first of many._

_Beware._

* * *

**Whew! Another chapter done! :D By the way, I will be taking three OCs for Ashheart's kits. So OC away! The three people that submit the names I choose get a SHOUTOUT! I don't know what chapter Ashheart is going to have her kits, but I'm thinking maybe next or the one after next. So make 'em up quickly! :D Review, follow fav, and all that jazz! Stay awesome!**

**~Tansywish :D**


	4. Chapter three

**Hey guys! Thank you for all of my reviews! Happy 4th of July! I don't know about you, but tonight I'm going to go see some FI-AH-WORKS! XD**

**Disclamer: I do not own Warriors. Idea belongs to Spottedeyes.**

* * *

Chapter Three

"I brought you honey," Sunpaw said firmly, entering the nursery. Ashheart had recently developed the same sickness, or at least Sunpaw thought it was the same sickness, as Petalfrost. Sunpaw was doing everything she could, because the gray she-cat was also expecting and could start kitting at any moment.

Ashheart coughed. "Thank you," she rasped, licking the honey up from the wad of moss that Sunpaw had laid down next to her.

The gold apprentice had been worried and stressed lately; ThunderClan's only elder, Berryfeather, had fallen ill just two sunrises ago. Stormrunner slept with Tawnykit in the warrior's den now, seeing that the nursery and the elder's den were both occupied.

"I think I'll be fine for awhile," Ashheart sighed. "Thank you, Sunpaw."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go eat. You haven't since yesterday."

Sunpaw shot the she-cat a grateful glance before padding out of the den. "Thank you. I'll be back in a little bit." Walking across the clearing, she passed the fresh-kill pile and went into the elder's den. The white tom had not been doing very well. He wouldn't eat or drink, and in the past few days, had grown extremely weak and thin.

"Berryfeather?" She heard raspy coughing, then nothing at all. "Berryfeather? How are you?" Silence.

Sunpaw walked farther into the den, and saw Berryfeather was laying motionless in his nest. Only the faint rise and fall of his flank told her that he was still alive. _Poor tom,_ she thought. _Too weak to cough._

"I'll get you some water," she meowed gently. To her surprise, Berryfeather feebly shook his head.

"It'll be a waste," he croaked. "I'm going to die anyways."

The small she-cat was sad and taken aback. "It won't be a waste." she said firmly. "There's plenty of water to go around. It's not like we'll run out in a day."

He shook his head again. "Don't. Just let me die." Sunpaw looked at the ground sadly, but quickly locked her gaze on the elder as he took short, raspy breaths. "Berryfeather?" she whispered.

Even though she hoped against it, hoped that she could still keep him alive, she knew he had gone to StarClan.

To Sunpaw, he was just one more cat she had failed to save.

* * *

"Ashheart, please eat these herbs!"

The gray queen was pretty far into kitting, but not yet recovered from the deadly sickness that had killed Berryfeather a quarter moon before. Duskclaw had also caught it, and had been removed from warrior duties for the time being.

She shoved them away, and Sunpaw grunted in disapproval. Pressing a forepaw gently on Ashheart's flank, she let out an agonized yowl. _The first kit._ As if on cue, a black and white kit slid out onto the moss. Turning around and licking the kitting sac, she realized with a sinking heart it had been born dead.

"You're doing great, Ashheart," Sunpaw meowed faintly as the second kit was born. To her relief, the light brown and white kit's jaws opened and closed as it's paws flailed, searching for it's mother. Placing the wriggling bundle by Ashheart just in time, another kit was born as the gray she-cat grunted. This one was a brown and gold she-cat; and Sunpaw licked it fiercely before setting next to it's brother.

Once again pressing her paw on the gray queen's stomach, she felt one more kit. "You're almost done, Ashheart." Ashheart moaned as the last kit tumbled out onto the moss. It was black and white like the first one. Sunpaw was happy that it was alive, but soon remembered the first kit.

She set it by Ashheart's stomach as she turned over, letting the small kits suckle. Ashheart purred with delight, but then stopped in confusion and looked up at Sunpaw.

"Weren't there four?"

Sunpaw felt her heart breaking as she nudged the kit close to Ashheart. "I'm so sorry," the gold she-cat's voice cracked.

Ashheart let out a small, sad yowl and Silverstripe padded into the nursery. "Are you okay?" The silver tom had been pacing outside of the nursery, obviously not wanting to see his current mate in pain. Seeing the motionless kit, he rushed over to the gray queen and nuzzled her, and his new kits.

The fact that Silverstripe was also her father, and Acornfall had been in Ashheart's place many moons ago made her feel somewhat strange.

"Congratulations."

Silverstripe looked up at Sunpaw with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you." he whispered. And she could tell her really meant it.

* * *

**That was sort of awkward. Hey, I didn't know how to end the chapter! Cut me some slack. :D Anyways, happy fourth of July! R&R! Do whatever you kittehs do! And stay awesome! :)**

**~Tansywish**


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